


The Best Freaking Fighters

by kaesi



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Adult Daniel Diaz (Life is Strange 2), Alternate Universe - Politics, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Depression, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Moral Dilemmas, Post-Lone Wolf Ending (Life is Strange 2)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28917777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaesi/pseuds/kaesi
Summary: In an alternative universe, Lyla crosses the border on the day the brothers were supposed to. Since the day they disappeared, she thought about running away after them. When she sees the horrifying scene of what happened at the border in the news, she decides to make a plan and finally find them.After the world learns about Daniel's powers, suddenly, more people with superpowers will start to appear, which will change the whole political situation in the world.Determined to fight for what she cares most about - against an unjust world, Lyla would do everything she could to clear their name. She becomes the advocate for justice. She wants people to see the truth. And this is her life's work.Lyla and her crew are documenting a story. The story of the Wolf Brothers. She will learn about everything that happened. It will only break her heart. But that's what makes her fight more. For and with the only person she ever loved. Because they're the freakin' fighters.
Relationships: Daniel Diaz & Sean Diaz, Sean Diaz & Lyla Park, Sean Diaz/Lyla Park
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	1. Driving Miles For You

**Author's Note:**

> This work is entirely about Lyla, telling the whole story from her perspective. It takes place in an alternative universe, after the Lone Wolf ending, where Daniel was sent back in time to save Sean and change all the events after episode three. I recommend reading my first fanfic of this series called Replay In Life. This story will explain a lot more about what happened in this universe and also how Lyla and Sean's relationship evolved for 16 years, after their separation.

#### February 28th, 2017

_The case of the Diaz brothers. Shooting and a mysterious explosion in southern Seattle. An incident that took place exactly five months ago that left two victims; their father, Esteban Diaz and officer Maxwell, who died as a result of the mysterious explosion, while three other men survived with serious injuries. The case, which provoked many protests by civil-rights groups, accused the police of racial bias, but in particular provoked many questions and discussions. Where did the Diaz brothers disappear to? What was the source of the explosion? And what _really_ happened?_

_These questions, which remained a mystery for months, were finally answered. Police received an anonymous tip yesterday afternoon. They were informed that the Diaz brothers had reached the other side of the country and were heading for the Mexican border. What happened there shocked and shook the whole country._

_......."I didn't want everything to be like this. I didn't want my father and the officer to die. I didn't want this power to curse me. I didn't want to run away. I didn't want to aim these weapons at you ... But you didn't give me much choice. You know, this was never about what I've caused. It wasn't about the decisions we've made. And not at all about my brother, whom you want to imprison for what he didn't do. And you never thought of that ... he might be innocent ... This is about you being scared of us because you don't understand. And I'm not asking you to ... All I want is that you finally leave us alone. That you let us go _home_ "......._

_Those were the words of nine-year-old Daniel Diaz. While the cameras captured something inexplicable ..._

_....._

_At first, it was hard to believe. But the police officers on the scene were convinced with their own eyes that this boy was not something ordinary ..._

_"... as he raised his hands, everything rose too. I was scared to death. It was hundreds of weapons, just floating in the air. And they were all aimed at our heads. We couldn't defend ourselves ..."_

_"... the boy was ... I don't even know how to describe it ... but I knew it was him doing it. I don't know how but ... he was somehow moving everything with his pure will ..."_

_"... there was nothing we could do in this situation. Our force was turned against us. So we had to let them go ..."_

_But what happened then was more shocking than anything they've already seen. It was allegedly a suicide attempt, when the boy used one of the weapons and fired. The police wasn't able to find out what caused this unexpected act, as his brother quickly gathered his helpless body and disappeared._

_"... it was just a child ... a child. Tell me how this can happen. Why did this happen to him? ..."_

__

_The tragedy raises more questions again. But one thing was confirmed. The child's powers were real. The police have assigned this supernatural power as a possible source of the explosion. It could have been the reason for the escape of the two brothers ..._

_Now the fugitives are far beyond the border. They escaped with two other unknowns. They pose a danger on the other side of the wall. Mexican police have refused to cooperate because they fear that if they intervene, they will have to face what happened on our side. They are still out there somewhere and it's only a matter of time--_

I stopped the recording. Then I rewinded it. I watched it again. And then again. And again. Until I was rewinding just one brief moment.

The terrified face of my best friend. He held his hands up and sweat ran down his face. He was silent and held back. I had no idea what thoughts were running through his mind. He looked like he even wanted to give up, but ... he couldn't. He put all his faith in his brother. But at the same time, it looked like he was ... scared of him. And his brother was ... he was ...

My goodness. Daniel. What happened to you?

#### July 4th 2017, 5 months after the events at the border

I held the steering wheel tightly. A look of determination and an empty desert road ahead. The only thing I've done in the last few days is driving. I couldn't stop. I finally decided to do it. I'm not turning back now. I only had one thing on my mind. _I'm gonna find them._

Nobody knew I left. Not that anyone cares. It was my fight, so I had to do this alone.

I didn't see any fireworks that day. I didn't even hear any. Everything was far away, disappeared behind the desert. But I couldn't care less. I had a goal in mind. I had to cross the border that night.

_I sat in the kitchen while Sean's Dad was cooking his delicious Delight pasta. Sean and I were going to the park later._

_"Whoa, you looked exactly like Sean." I said, admiring the only photo he had left from his life in Mexico. While we were talking, he showed it to me and said that I was one of the few people he had shared his past life with. But he didn't go into much detail. I knew he was hiding a lot. He probably only told people about his happy memories and left out the bad stuff._

_"I get it. My mom doesn't like to talk about it either. But she refuses to admit... She's not like you. She's ashamed of it ... Sometimes I feel bad because I know what you both had to go through and I understand that. But ... sometimes I just don't understand _her_. "_

_Mr. Diaz stood turned away from me and he was focused more on the cooking. There was a long moment of silence, and then he went back to his joyful tone, choosing not to discuss the subject further. But I had the feeling that he simply had nothing to add._

_"You know, I'm planning to go back one day, maybe when I retire, but that's still a long way off."_

_"That's nice, but I'm not sure your sons will let you go so soon."_

_He chuckled and began to reminisce about his old life again. I laid my head on the counter and listened to his stories. I imagined him sitting in his beach house, with the best view of the ocean. He deserved to have something so peaceful. Live the rest of his life in the town that kept his most precious memories. In Puerto Lobos._

I drove all night after crossing the border. It was dawn. I stopped on the side of the road just a few miles from the town and watched the sunrise. I sat on the car and lit a cigarette. I tried to keep an empty mind, but it was harder than it seemed. This moment was like déjà vu. The smell of smoke, a quiet moment and just a beautiful view of the sky. But something was still missing. It was _him_.

_"These fucking planes, man... I wanna hate them, but... I'll miss them so much if I move somewhere else. Shit changes so fast... I get so emo sometimes, wondering what'll happen to us once we graduate. Will you still be my BFF? Will shit ever get better than 1452, Lame Avenue?"_

_Sean stayed quiet for a moment and smoked his cigarette. Then he said, "No es posible, sister. With all that shit going on... A dirty Mexican like me hanging out with an Asian chick... Uh... I mean... That's a one way ticket to jail."_

_"Oh, I'm not worried. You'll be pacing your ass off behind that waaaaall way before me."_

_"Shit, you're right. I need to get cooler than you, so my 10 thousand followers keep me out of trouble."_

_"I mean, no way you can... but... I love you anyway."_

I wiped away my tears and got back in the car. This was it. Almost there. I just had to find the house, come to the door and knock. I spent months at home, collecting articles and connecting clues, everything I could find. But it was still just an estimate. I couldn't know they would really be there. They could be anywhere in this country, but I didn't care how long it would take me. I came here to find them.

Soon I was looking at a row of houses on the beach shore. Some of them were so old that they were falling apart, and I doubt anyone still lives in them. But there was one house that stood out.

An old house, painted blue, but the paint chipped off, and it looked as if no one had been in it for quite some time. It was quite far from the rest of the houses, as if it didn't belong here, and the beach behind it was a separate space. Something told me that was it, so I stopped in front of the house and got out.

When I took a better look at it, I doubted it. It really looks deserted. I can't imagine anyone living here. But then I stood in front of the door and noticed that someone had to break in.

My heart skipped a beat, but I tried to stay calm. What if ... they really came here?

_What if he's right behind that door?_

I stepped closer and after a moment of hesitation I knocked. I must have looked crazy, good that there were no people around. I banged on the door again, but couldn't even hear a sound. I told myself, "fuck this," I'll just go inside. It was broken anyway, anyone could walk in. I had to find out what's inside to see if I was right. Maybe I could learn more. So I slowly opened the door, and just then I saw someone running down the stairs.

He stopped in his tracks the moment he saw me. And I did the same.

There he was. After all that time. Right in front of me. He looked exactly the same.

I wanted to strangle him, scream at him, rip his heart out, show him, somehow... but at the same time, I wanted to hug him, hold him close and never let him go again.

But none of us moved. We just stood there frozen in place, looking at each other.

It was a long moment. I had a million words in mind. None of them came out. I looked down at the floor. It was too much. But then I looked up and straight into his eyes.

"Hello, Sean."


	2. Stand With Me Against The World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fixed a major issue in chapter one. Can't believe I forgot about it. Anyway, here's part 2 already.

"Do you want anything? Coffee or--?" Sean asked as he sat me down in the kitchen.

"Yes, thank you."

Sean rushed to the counter, poured water into an old pot and he put it on a portable propane stove.

It was obvious that there was no electricity. Everything was empty and dusty and the furniture was very old. But a few new things were in this room. Most of it was food supplies and camping stuff. It looked like they came here recently ...

Sean placed a cup of coffee on the table and I put my hands around it. The warmth and the smell soothed me and I felt at least a little better. He just sat down at the table and stared at me. He didn't make a drink for himself. That only made me uneasy again. I stared at the cup.

"Lyla ... why did you come here?" he asked.

Of course, it wasn't like a dramatic scene from a movie. Sean didn't say much when he saw me in that doorstep. He just said my name in a quiet voice as I pulled him into a short hug. I felt he was trembling. We didn't cry at all, we were just glad to see each other again. But Sean was actually more worried than glad.

"I needed to see you." I said. It was not a lie. But there was much more to it than that.

"So you drove through the whole country, to another country, just because of me?"

_That's exactly what I did. Because I could no longer live like this. I couldn't live fearing that something would happen to you. I just finally had to know you were okay._

I didn't answer Sean's question. Instead, I reminded him of something.

"You called me _once_ , Sean. I got a single call from you and you literally hung up on me. Do you have any idea how many nights I've spent worrying about if you're still alive? All those nights I couldn't put myself to sleep? I had to take sleeping pills and a bunch of more shit! I almost ended up in the hospital again ... "

Sean said nothing. He just stared at the ground. I know why. He was used to my mood swings. He always did the same thing then. He let me get my anger out.

When I finished, he said quietly, "I'm sorry, Lyla. I'm sorry you had to go through this. I was an asshole."

"Never mind. Just let me ask the questions now." I said in a calmer tone.

I felt pretty bad. I knew why he couldn't. It was too dangerous. When the police found out that he had called me, they basically couldn't leave me alone.

Sean sat up straight in his chair and looked back at me.

"Please ..." I tried to get the words out, "please tell me Daniel is alive."

"He is. He's sleeping upstairs."

A burden fell from my heart. I've even been praying. I convinced myself he had to be, because I could not bear anything else. I let out a shaky breath, but I felt a million times better.

Sean took me upstairs. Just to get rid of my worries completely, he opened the door to the bedroom where Daniel was. He was fast asleep. He was breathing as calmly as if he had no worries in the world. The sight of him made me cry. My little boy was fine. But what was what I saw in the news then?

When Sean saw I was crying, he pulled me back and closed the door.

"He needs a lot of rest. He was in a coma for 3 months. Lost his memory. We knew we wouldn't come here until he recovered and could manage. We only came to the town a few weeks ago." Sean explained.

"Where have you been until then?" I asked curiously.

"On the road. Went from place to place. We've been trying to hide. After what happened ..."

He didn't have to explain further. The whole world could recognize their faces, and it's really hard to hide from something like that.

"We had to bribe the doctors," Sean said, "No one can know. They can never find out Daniel is alive."

I nodded. Although something didn't suit with me, what he said. What did they bribe them with? But I had a more important question on my mind right now.

"Sean, who are the other two people who crossed the border with you? And where are they now?"

"They just went to town. They're ... Finn," he said, and at the same time he seemed to blush, "he's ... someone we met along the way. The only one who decided to stay with us. And ... it's also my mother. Karen. "

"Your mother?" I asked in shock, my eyes growing to the size of the moon.

"She helped us. She's still helping us. How we met ... it's a long story."

It was hard to believe everything he said already, but this made absolutely no sense to me. How does a poor excuse of a mother decide out of nowhere, after eight years, that she's going to finally help her sons? The woman whose name, even when it was only mentioned, made me furious and I've never even met her in my life? Someone who hurt my best friend so much that he could never forgive her, and what she did made me hate her the same way? How can it be that he suddenly forgave?

"I need a moment." I said and ran outside to the beach.

I hated my mom. I hated the fact that I always had to put on a fake smile and pretend that everything was fine. Because that's all she cared about. What it looked like on the outside. My mental health was just a "problem that could be solved" for her. Everything was just a problem to be solved. She only wanted me to be perfect. But I'm not. And she refuses to accept that, too. After each release from the lunatic asylum, to hear each time "this time it will get better". She fucking knows it will never get better.

I felt betrayed. That was literally the first thing we learned about each other. We both hated our mom. I remembered when I was 12 and when I first sat down next to that shy boy, because I was really curious about what he was drawing in his sketchbook. It was a bunch of superheroes with animal faces. They all also had animal abilities, such as flying or super speed. I started asking him a bunch of questions, and suddenly he didn't seem so shy when he talked about his art.

_"What about this one? Why is he wearing a hoodie and hiding like that?"_

_"He doesn't have any abilities. He's an outsider. I just like to draw him."_

_"So why is he on the team? Does he have like a super cool origin, too?"_

_"Something like that. He had a bad mom. She abandoned him."_

I just stood there taking in the view. I watched the water meeting the sand. I was trying to find something reassuring in it, something that would calm me down. But it only reminded me of one thing. Everything would be washed away once.

After a while, Sean came outside and put his hand on my back.

"Are you okay?"

I've never really been okay. But at least I could try to be. He was okay, and that's all I needed to know this whole time.

"I guess ... Sean, I want to stay for a while. I want to talk to Daniel. And ... your mom. But most of all, I want to hear about what happened from _you_. "

"I know. I owe you so much. You did something so stupid and dangerous for me ..."

"Well, sorry, Sean. You're never getting rid of me."

Sean laughed and I surprised him when I grabbed his hand. I didn't look at him, just kept looking at the ocean. I repeated the words in my head, _no, this will remain_.

"I have a new name for us."

"For dirty Mexican and the Asian chick?" he asked.

"Yeah... I want this to last, Sean. I don't want to think about differences. What I've experienced in the last months... it made me realize something. And that I can never give up on you. I wanna fight it. Everything..."

"We'll be the freakin' fighters then." he said.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

We stood hand in hand watching the ocean, and for the first time I thought ...

_It's going to mean something._


	3. The Quest part I: To Hear Your Voice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a lot of jumping back and forth in the timeline. But I will always indicate the day and year in the scene title. It will be mostly jumping back to the five months before they crossed the border, like in this chapter, and then coming back to adult Lyla, after the events. Trigger warning!! Attempt at self-harm and suicide in this chapter.

#### October 31st 2016, 3 days after the accident

I was laying in bed with an unbearable headache. I fell asleep at about half past five in the morning, and after what seemed like a few minutes of sleep, I was unable to close my eyes again. I wish I could, but it wouldn't make much sense now.

My mom was banging on the door.

"Lyla! It's a school day and you're late!"

She couldn't be serious. As if I didn't just spend the whole weekend dying in bed. I got about 6 hours of sleep in the last three days. She couldn't possibly think of sending me to school in this state.

"It's Halloween!" I shouted back just so she would leave me alone.

"Halloween is not a day off! Move your ass and go to school!"

I started arguing with her and after a few minutes, she aggressively opened the door and entered my room. When she saw me, her anger suddenly disappeared.

"Lyla, have the sleeping pills started to work yet?"

I have never taken such large doses as now. But it didn't change anything. How do I sleep when I can't even breathe? When I spend half the day crying and worrying myself to death.

"Yes ... they helped a little," I said. But she knew I was lying.

"You've been on your computer again all night, haven't you?" she crossed her arms, "I told you not to deal with it ..."

I tried to suppress my anger. I really didn't need to listen to this right now.

"Mom, my best friend and his little nine-year-old brother are missing! I'm losing my shit worrying about them, and you're expecting me to just go on with my day as if nothing happened? Do you even realize what will happen when I come to school? There are lots of people on the Internet who post death threats on Sean's profile! Some of them are from our school! And what happens if the police-- ?! "

"If they want to interrogate you, you'll call me and I'll take care of it," she said.

I shook my head at her in disappointment. I couldn't believe she was really forcing me to do this.

She put my school bag on the bed and left me alone in my room. I didn't even bother to choose an outfit, I just grabbed what was on the floor, and I was outside in a minute. My mom was waiting by the front door.

"You should have stopped talking to that boy a long time ago," she said. I gave her such a hateful look that she immediately regretted what she said.

_Suddenly you care about who I hang out with?_

"Go to Hell," I told her and slammed the door behind me.

...

On the bus ride to school, I scrolled through my messages with Sean, just as I've done for the last two days after he last texted me about what happened.

But no answer. He didn't even see them. I began to doubt that he still had his cell phone with him. This means that I would have no way to contact him ...

I began to feel anxious again. Where would they hide? Where did they sleep at night? What if they're hiding in some dump and looking for leftovers to eat? My little Daniel ... I can't even imagine him like that. And what if ... they run into some creep that will try to hurt them?

I was shaking. I couldn't breathe properly and I was on the verge of a panic attack. Then I noticed they were looking at me. Some people on the bus were from my class and immediately knew what was going on. Some looked at me as if it was a crime I was alive. I put my hood on and tried to shield myself from their stares.

I managed to somehow calm myself and turn my feelings into anger. I put on metal music and continued on my way to Hell High.

...

As soon as I walked in the door, I was met with a million glances. When I went to my locker, I heard them whispering about me. I put the headphones back, trying to survive at least the way to class.

Then someone shoved me sideways into my shoulder with brute force and I slammed into the lockers. I turned around, but I couldn't even see who it was.

_I can't do it._

Tears welled in my eyes, but I gathered all my books as fast as I could and hurried to class.

I was expecting just an ordinary English class. But the teacher stood in the very corner of the classroom. Instead, the cops stood in the front.

"Are you Miss Park?" one of the officers asked.

My classmates all looked at me. Almost all of them had most of the lessons with me and Sean. It was as if they were just waiting for me as if I were the only person they could accuse of everything.

...

They interrogated us one by one in the headmaster's office. Every single student who had lessons with Sean was forced to leave the lesson for a few minutes. It was completely ridiculous.

It was my turn soon. Jenn was inside right now, and I was shaking my legs nervously, thinking about what I was going to tell them. Of course I didn't tell my mom. That would only make things worse.

But I texted Sean. Even though I knew he wouldn't read it. But I had to keep trying.

_2 days without fucking news_

_u know I'm not the kind of person who curls up in some corner to pray_

_So I'm here if you need help. Just call. Anything. I'll keep trying_

The door opened and Jenn stepped out. She gave me an apologetic look, and I immediately knew she said something she shouldn't have. I haven't told her anything yet, but if she fucked up now, she'll hear from me for the last time. It's up to me now.

I entered the headmaster's office, sat across from the cop, and looked at her with my death stare. Obviously, I couldn't trust her, but I was also sure that this would not be a pleasant conversation. Because besides all the circumstances, she looked like my mom.

"I'm officer Tanaka," she offered her hand, but I refused and just kept staring at her. She ignored it.

"Your classmates told us you were Sean's best friend. But I want you to know in advance that we won't want anything more from you than what we did from the others. Just tell me what you know about him and what happened last Friday."

I smiled ironically, "I think you already know enough. Did it actually help anyhow that you're questioning everyone at school?"

"Actually, you're right. We didn't find much valuable information, just about some Halloween party. We were trying to get some evidence from Sean's laptop, but it was destroyed in the explosion. But one of your classmates told us that you and Sean planned to go to the party. It was supposed to start shortly after the explosion happened. So ... where were you then?"

 _Of course Jenn told them. She was too afraid to lie because mommy and daddy would kill her._.

"Oh, I was at home preparing for the party. I wasn't with Sean that day after school, so that's all I can tell you. I was just texting him asking if he was ready but... he never texted back."

I tried to play it out. I looked as if I was about to start crying. She looked at me sadly, which probably meant my act worked.

"And you didn't call him in the meantime? Didn't he let you know something was wrong?"

I shook my head.

He never called. I was there waiting for a skype call, but it never happened. He just had to let me know when he's ready, but I never got to know about that either. I was left in the dark. 

"So, did you try to contact him after what happened?"

"Of course I did," I told the truth this time, "but he's not texting me back. I think he lost his phone." That was half-true. Sean texted me back but didn't tell me where he was. And that felt even worse.

"Okay ... I see you're telling the truth. He didn't text back anyone else who tried to contact him."

_He didn't text back anyone. He only texted me. Why? Was it because he didn't care about letting anyone else but me know? Or ... he just wanted to calm me down because I spammed him with messages and it bothered him ..._

"Now I just want you to tell me something about Sean. Anything. We just need to build some picture of him to explain his intentions."

"But you know he's innocent, right? His father is dead. It makes sense he escaped. He has no other family, just his little brother." I looked her straight in the eye.

"At the moment we can't prove anything, so that's why we need to find out as much as we can. Of course, we take into account that your friend may have been scared of what happened, but ... It would be best if he stopped running now. If they would come back and explain everything. Fleeing the scene is also a crime. But if they can prove their innocence, nothing bad will happen to them. I promise you that. "

I nodded. I was so desperate that I wanted to believe her, but I couldn't. I didn't know myself. I couldn't prove Sean was innocent. I only knew he was because I knew _him_.

I told her a bunch of vague information, some characteristics and basic traits that every other person could have, and I described our relationship as "we just talk at school and sometimes we hang out in the park."

She seemed satisfied with my statement and offered me her number, in case of any new information I could provide. After that, the day couldn't be any better.

...

"Why didn't you tell me that officer Tanaka interrogated you at school?"

My mother stood in the kitchen with her arms crossed, just waiting for me to come back and scold me. My father was already home, pretending not to hear anything. It was one of our usual days.

"I didn't have time."

"Don't bullshit me. At least you could have texted me or something. You're lucky that officer Tanaka is not making any trouble out of you lying to her."

"What ?!"

"She talked to me ..."

"Jesus, you too?!"

"... and she said you didn't tell her the full truth about your messages. She said you hid from her that he texted you. Now they can see our messages..."

"What? Since when? Do they even have a right to do that?"

"Maybe if you haven't texted that boy, they wouldn't have to do anything about it. But do whatever you want now, it will only help them ... and get in your room. I don't want to see you."

She turned her back on me as if what she said was already happening. I came over to my dad. He was sitting on the couch with his phone in his hand, looking very uncomfortable. Probably because of the phone-tracking.

"So ... I'm guessing we're not going to pick up your buddy anymore ..." he said, looking down.

Unlike my mother, my father tried to really help. He didn't know anything about Sean, although Sean had been my only real friend for five years. But he didn't condemn him right away. He wasn't an asshole, like Mom. He would help me with my problems, even if they had the craziest solutions. But only when he had time to hear some of my problems. And that wasn't often, because he was never at home.

I complained to him and then went to lock myself in my room. I immersed myself in my research and spent the next few hours reading the law, looking for cases and the best lawyers, googling unexplained explosions, and reading about the theories from people on Reddit. My head was so full that I didn't know what to do next. I looked at every possibility, but I wasn't sure about anything. I was frustrated. I was ruined. I needed a sign. Anything.

My cell phone beeped. My heart almost jumped out of my chest, but it was just a message from officer Tanaka. She said she wanted to work with me. That we need to get Sean and Daniel home... and then she sent me a bunch of questions and asked me to answer them.

I lay down and let tears run down my face.

_That's all I want. To get them home. To see them safe ..._

...

It was already after one o'clock in the morning and I knew that I would not get any sleep today either. My eyes were so tired, but I kept scrolling on my computer. Then I switched to my phone and browsed the photos in my gallery. Photos with Sean. Stupid selfies. Our ridiculous faces photoshopped into memes. Embarrassing pictures with the most stupid expressions. But they didn't bring any joy now...

I was soon laying on the floor crying. But this time it was unbearable. I cried with the last of my strength. I cried so much that I didn't have the strength to cry anymore. I couldn't keep my body from collapsing. My bones hurt and my whole body was weak. My face was swollen and my tears just fell to the floor because I ran out of tissues. I wanted to die here and now, but I was just suffering like this...

Then I looked at the bottom drawer of my dresser. I hid something there. Something that caused me to end up in the hospital two years ago. But it was more serious then. It was a failed attempt.

I went back through my messages with Sean. Still nothing. Unread.

I stopped at a text I had written to him on one of those depressing nights. It was only last week, but it seemed like a month ago.

_Fuck. I don't wanna live on this planet anymore_

But this night was not just a depressing night. This was despair.

_I need this._

I reached for the drawer. I opened it slowly and carefully pulled out the razors. I sat down and wiped my tear-stained face with my sleeves.

And I looked at the razors. My thoughts were empty. I was here sitting. But I was not in my body. I didn't feel anything.

Then, out of nowhere, I picked up the phone. I don't know why. I guess I wanted to look at the last photo ... at least one ... last one.

But instead, I watched Sean read my messages. And he was online. I started typing frantically.

_Sean! I see your online_

_Where r u???_

_I'm worried af, please call me back_

_The police keep asking questions & I dunno what to tell em_

_Please Sean call me now_

Then ... my phone rang. Fuck the cops. I've never picked up so fast in my life.

"Sean?" 

"Hey Lyla..." 

"Sean, is that you? Do you-- Sean! Oh God... Are you okay?" 

"I guess... I'm... I'm in a motel... with Daniel..." 

"Shit! Everyone's looking for you here." 

"Fuck... I didn't do anything!" 

"I know... God, this is so messed up... The cops are talking to everybody at school..." 

"This is a nightmare... We're fucked!" 

"Sean, don't say that! It will be okay... I miss you so much... Maybe you could come back?" 

"Hell no! The cops will throw my ass into jail... then what happens to Daniel?" 

"Stop it! Nothing will happen... We can... start a GoFundMe. Get you a lawyer." 

"You know it's not that easy! There's nothing we can do!" 

"Stop acting like I'm never gonna see you again... That's bullshit..." 

"I'm sorry! I totally hate this... There won't be any dirty Mexican and Asian chick gathering for a while." 

"Shit actually changes, I guess... So? Where are you going?" 

"Uh... We're just going... away... for now. I'll call you if I get a chance... I miss you Lyla." 

"Sean, wait!" 

I held the phone to my chest for a moment before I called him back. It rang the first time, but after that, and after twenty more calls, I realized there is no chance I would be able to reach this number again.

I cried, but my thoughts were different now. They were okay. They had a place to sleep. It hurt my heart to hear how scared Sean was, but I could understand.

Maybe he will call me again. But for now, this is all I needed. To hear he was okay. To hear his voice.


	4. The Quest part II: The Sence of Belonging

#### December 9th 2016

"Hey, Lyla! Over here!"

Adam called me just as I was about to leave school. I didn't look forward to anything else every day. Leaving hell on earth, because being here wasn't helping at all besides everything that was happening in my fucked up life.

"What's up, Adam?" I tried to fake a smile. Adam tried to pretend too, and it was painful to watch.

"I just wanted to ask if you want to play with us today ..."

He started talking about what they've been playing with the guys lately and how he's been totally obsessed with this game called Star Annihilation for a week now because it was about to come out soon. He talked about how good the graphics look and that they want to go buy it with the guys as soon as they can.

"Sorry, Adam, but I don't have time today..."

Adam just bowed his head and said, "I know. I was just hoping that ..."

I looked at him blankly.

"Nevermind. I know you're busy with ... other stuff now."

He looked at me sadly. I didn't like that. I didn't like it when they thought I was worrying myself because I had problems with myself and I felt somehow responsible for what had happened. I hated it when they told me, "It's been a month, Lyla. You have to let it go." They had no idea what I was really about.

"I have to go, Adam. I'll call ..."

"Wait!"

He grabbed my hand. I turned around and was a bit shocked. He never acted like this before. But in recent days he cared too much. He always wanted to know what was going on with me. He kept asking me to go to the park with them and I always told him not today. I knew Adam always had a small crush on me for a long time. But the last thing I needed now was for him to start showing interest.

"Are you okay, Lyla?" he asked. As if I hadn't answered that question a million times in a week.

"I'm okay. I just have a lot going on..." I lied.

"Hey, I'm just trying to make you feel better. You know I care about you--"

"I know. I appreciate it, Adam, but I already told you I don't need any help. Can't you at least finally leave me alone?"

Adam let go of my hand. He looked at me as if he didn't recognize me.

I went outside and left him standing in the hallway. But the truth was, I wasn't really mad at the guys anymore. They tried to forget and not talk about it. Their lives have returned to normal. Ellery replaced Sean on the team, the gang still hung out in the park, and Eric was still throwing small parties with everyone smoking and getting drunk. Jenn got together with Derek and stopped hanging out with anyone who had been friends with Sean before. That one thing didn't bother me at all. She left me a few pathetic messages, but when I ignored them all, she didn't try to talk to me anymore.

That was all fine. They had the choice to forget, unlike me. They didn't know Sean as I did. I knew I would be alone in that. But that's how it is. I had to keep on going.

"Hello Friday night," I said to myself when I got home and soon closed the door to my room. The usual.

#### Two days later

Tanaka really got on my nerves. I felt like she wasn't telling me everything and it frustrated me. I did a much better job than they did.

After Sean called me, they tried to get everything out of me, even though they saw I was not okay. And I couldn't tell them anything.

But two days later, I received the news ...

I looked at the article pinned to the wall.

_LOCAL HERO ATTACKED BY FUGITIVES IN STORE INVASION_

Such bullshit. It made them sound like some criminals. But when I read the last sentence, I immediately knew what it was all about.

"...they attacked him before escaping into the woods..."

That just confirmed my concerns. They slept outside and hid in the woods. They didn't even have anything to eat, so they stole some supplies from the gas station. I was sick of the thought. Sean probably ran out of money. They were desperate.

And they attacked Hank Stamper. I was terrified when I first read it. But I knew there would be something behind it. They called the guy a "hero" and "pillar of the community." And that seemed suspicious to me. I did in-depth research on him, but I found only the stuff that described him like he was the most righteous person in the world. So I decided to contact some people in the community. And I only got information from a few people who confirmed that what I thought was true. The guy was a racist. They also told me that he even collects guns. Who knows what he did to Sean and Daniel and what made them do that. He must have hurt them too.

The title disgusted me. He was not a hero. It was a racist dickhead. But I couldn't prove anything. He was robbed. He was a victim. They wouldn't believe it, but I knew. Whatever it looked like, this was injustice.

That was the same night Sean called me. That fact worried me even more. Because from what the police were able to find out, Sean called me from a motel called the Three Seals Motel. That's in Oregon. They reached the Oregon coast from Highway 5 in just a few hours. The question was _how?_

The motel owner was upset. He got even angrier when I called him and asked him for information. But I got what I needed. Someone else booked a room for them. The guy's name was Brody Holloway. The same Brody Holloway I've been following for some time. What I read on his blog that day suddenly made sense.

I contacted Brody on his blog without mentioning Sean or Daniel. The police didn't know anything about it, and I made sure they never found out. Two weeks after they found Sean's phone, they decided it probably wouldn't make sense to track ours anymore. That's when I finally managed to convince Brody to tell me everything that happened.

He sent a long message to my blog. It was a lot. But there was one thing that stood out.

"... he told me he didn't remember anything that happened. One moment he was drawing his room and the next he suddenly woke up in front of the house in the middle of an explosion and found his father dead ..."

Now I was looking at 3 pictures pinned to my wall. Each showed the consequences of what I could not explain so far. Destroyed yard and front of the house, scattered goods in the gas station, and a smashed motel room. None of this made sense.

Even after seeing footage from police surveillance, I could not explain where what they called a "mysterious explosion" came from.

All I could see was Sean retreating while his father held Daniel, who looked as if he was screaming in shock. Brett, his father, and officer Maxwell stood around them. His partner was standing by the car. And a second later, they were all thrown in different directions. Except for Daniel. He was lying in the same place, right in the middle of the blow. A blast that killed his father and a police officer.

"This can't be real."

####  Later that day 

Spending time on Sean's profile always made me furious. Who the hell were these people? After a month, there were still some people who publicly threatened him or had racist remarks. I reported them, but it didn't help at all. At least there were people who wanted to help Sean. People like Clem. Thanks to them, I didn't want to give up after all.

Clem contacted me as soon as I responded to her post on Sean's profile. I told her everything except for what I couldn't, about Brody or how I was trying to figure out the source for the explosion. But I told her the truth about Hank and the Fosters. The article she wrote from my statement was very impressive. Now it had more than a thousand shares, and more and more people started discussions. That is why the riots continued. People mostly gathered directly on Lewis avenue, while the part of the street in front of the house was still restricted.

I was glad that a community was beginning to emerge that was fighting for change. I had the feeling that I was no longer alone and that I belonged somewhere. But ... I was still devastated. When I came back from Sean's dad's funeral, everything came back. I felt the same way again as I felt after the day it happened. I cried all day. It got so bad that my mom really had to leave me at home for a whole week. I just couldn't deal with it. He didn't deserve to die. He was the best dad that everyone would want. I was even closer to him than to my own father.

Some days it got better, but some days I still felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. As if I was fighting an immortal enemy.

I was awakened when I got a message from Clem. She texted me that I should go out. My first thought was that she was pranking me again. She liked to pull pranks on me, but we laughed at it together and at least it improved my mood.

_Why?_

_Because I'm right here!_

As soon as I opened the door, I heard a bunch of people outside. I looked out the living room window and couldn't believe what I was seeing.

She was here, right in front of my house. And rioters marched across the street.

"Welcome to the party, Lyla!"

"Hey, Clem!"

Clementine and I had a lot in common, but in some things, she was a lot crazier than me. At first glance, she seemed like a stuck-up, popular girl, but she was actually totally cool. She was also very pretty. She had hazel eyes and long black hair, which she always wore on one side to show her ear piercings. Sometimes she dressed like a hippie, sometimes like she was going to a rock concert, and sometimes she had something elegant on, like a nice jacket or a black dress. She was 21, but she was already a great reporter. When her blog got a lot of views, she got a lot of opportunities. I loved her work. She was so fearless and she fought for what she cared about. She became the first person I respected in my life. And she also became a friend in the most difficult times.

"So, Lyla, I wanted to introduce you to someone ..."

Next to her stood a tall, lanky guy in glasses. He looked nerdy and cool at the same time. Clem has been telling me she was dating a guy who was half black and half Japanese and I wondered--

"This is my boyfriend," Clementine smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Lyla. My name is Raiden."

Clem started laughing when she saw my reaction and then I started laughing with her. Raiden just stared at us and looked offended.

"You're always so serious," Clem told him, "it's cute."

"Umm, thanks?" he said.

We all laughed as we joined the riot and walked together down the street.

Clem asked me if I had any news. I told her no and that I hadn't heard from Sean since the last incident. She looked surprised when I said that and then fell silent suspiciously. She wasn't telling me something.

"What is it? You know if it's about me getting mad, it's better to tell me right? So what happened?" I began asking her.

"I know... I saw he was online earlier today, but it was only for a moment. I thought you would notice or... he would call you again."

I looked at my phone and really. Sean was last online 3 hours ago. How could I be so stupid and not notice ... But more than that ... I couldn't believe ...

"He probably didn't want to risk it," Raiden said, "it's way too dangerous to use the internet when he's hiding out. Even this was a mistake. You should probably contact the police, they could've found out where he is."

I know he was just trying to help. But it was quite difficult for me to listen to all this. I turned and tried to hide my teary face.

Clem grabbed my hand. It helped me calm down and then I got serious.

"At least they may have found a safer place. If they're safe, I can't let them catch them. Sean didn't want to go back. He was terrified of it. I can't hope that if they catch him, they won't lock him up. Not anymore. "

Clem and Raiden both nodded understandingly. I was so glad to have them.

We noticed a guy holding a sign, which was larger than his whole body.There was _Law ≠ Justice_ written on it. We walked behind him and cheered him on him, and then he turned to look at us.

"Hey! You're the girl who posted this!" he ran up to me and it almost fell on him. The three of us helped him hold it. "And you ... the one who wrote the article, am I right?

"I guess so," Clem said.

"Whoa, I can't believe I'm actually meeting you. This is crazy!"

"Like we're famous or something," Clem laughed.

"Well, yeah! You guys are like my idols. I wouldn't be able to deal with all that shit without this community... this really helped me y'know, after my little brother died."

His cheerfulness and excitement suddenly disappeared completely, his enthusiastic expression falling. I approached him and held his hands. With his big black eyes and tousled hair, he reminded me terribly of Daniel. He looked like his older version, which means he also looked a lot like ... Sean.

"What's your name?" I asked him.

"Marco. My name is Marco."

"Hi Marco," I said, "wanna be a part of the team?"

Marco smiled again and his eyes lit up.

At that moment, I received a sudden phone call. The name "Tanaka" appeared on the screen. The worst of fears seized me. What if Raiden was right? What if they got them?

I picked up, even though there was a lot of noise.

"Hello? Officer?"

"I'm sorry, Lyla..."

"Sorry about what? Explain!"

"We found them. But they escaped us."

"What? I can hardly hear you-- wait a second ... There."

"I said we found Sean and Daniel. But their grandparents helped them escape ... Someone logged into Sean's profile from their house in Beaver Creek and we immediately alerted the local forces. Turns out they've been with their grandparents for more than a week. But they managed to sneak out of the back door. One of the officers saw them on the road, he followed them ... but a neighbor's child stood in his way and-- "

"What.. what are you saying?"

"I'm-- I'm sorry, Lyla. We tried. But now they may be somewhere far away. We think they jumped on one of the freight trains. We're looking into it now. We're trying to get their grandparents to tell us where they're headed, but-- "

"Stop. I've heard enough. I don't wanna hear anything again. You're doing a terrible job. This is all on you ..."

"Lyla--"

I hung up and almost smashed my phone on the ground. Then I turned to my friends and with a sudden realization, my expression became calm, determined.

"Let's riot."

And we marched to the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm making small changes here and there because I keep getting lost in my own universe, and didn't realize time travel happened twice, so it changed some things. But now I think I finally got it right lol. Enjoy!


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